Xena: Warrior Princess actor convicted after camping out on an oil driller

Lucy Lawless, known for her portrayal as Xena: Warrior Princess, pleaded guilty to trespass on Thursday after she and nine Greenpeace activists camped out on an Arctic bound oil-driller docked in New Zealand.

"For the first time in my life, I put my body and reputation on the line to stand up for my beliefs and do the right thing," she said in an interview with The Associated Press after her appearance in court. "I hope I've encouraged other people to do the same."

The ship was chartered by Shell. The company said the protest needlessly endangered lives.

The actor could face up to three years in jail. Lawless believes the sentence will be less since she is a first offender, although she did worry that the conviction would make it harder for her to work.

"This is an industry that sees its own demise on the horizon. To survive it is prepared to go to the ends of the earth and take extreme risks in search of the last drops of oil. From the Great South Basin below New Zealand to the far reaches of the Arctic, nothing is sacred to Big Oil. "